I do not warm it up myself - should be okay as is, I usually recommend that in the winter months with colder room ambient temps or when you pull it out of the mailbox and it's -10 C outside. you can always just put it in your pocket, heat vent, on top of a piece of warm electronics if you deem necessary.

I even microwave it myself for a few seconds when I come into the office in the winter with heat turned down. You do have to watch it closely though when you do that

Not recommended for any other compound, I absent mindedly microwaved a metal oxide compound a couple years ago and had a nifty little toxic fire going, it was pretty exciting lol

So, I got a PM telling me staff would get seperate mailings from everyone else.

Well, you previously did the same sort of test, years ago, on another website, and the same applied. Except the sample I got back then had chunks in it that killed two VGAs byu scratching the surface of the GPUs when mounting the heatsink. This cost me over $800 in replacements.

So, info from between then and now, tells me that the sample was contaminated, so either the user that was responsible for shipping to staff on that site screwed with my sample, or you guys sent out some bad stuff.

I will not place my hardware under the same risk. I'd love to take part in the testing, but unless you send to me directly, I will not participate.

I do not warm it up myself - should be okay as is, I usually recommend that in the winter months with colder room ambient temps or when you pull it out of the mailbox and it's -10 C outside. you can always just put it in your pocket, heat vent, on top of a piece of warm electronics if you deem necessary.

I even microwave it myself for a few seconds when I come into the office in the winter with heat turned down. You do have to watch it closely though when you do that

Not recommended for any other compound, I absent mindedly microwaved a metal oxide compound a couple years ago and had a nifty little toxic fire going, it was pretty exciting lol

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I just saw that somehad commented that it's very thick and was easier to spread if it was warmed up a little.

So, I got a PM telling me staff would get seperate mailings from everyone else.

Well, you previously did the same sort of test, years ago, on another website, and the same applied. Except the sample I got back then had chunks in it that killed two VGAs byu scratching the surface of the GPUs when mounting the heatsink. This cost me over $800 in replacements.

So, info from between then and now, tells me that the sample was contaminated, so either the user that was responsible for shipping to staff on that site screwed with my sample, or you guys sent out some bad stuff.

I will not place my hardware under the same risk. I'd love to take part in the testing, but unless you send to me directly, I will not participate.

So, I got a PM telling me staff would get seperate mailings from everyone else.

Well, you previously did the same sort of test, years ago, on another website, and the same applied. Except the sample I got back then had chunks in it that killed two VGAs byu scratching the surface of the GPUs when mounting the heatsink. This cost me over $800 in replacements.

So, info from between then and now, tells me that the sample was contaminated, so either the user that was responsible for shipping to staff on that site screwed with my sample, or you guys sent out some bad stuff.

I will not place my hardware under the same risk. I'd love to take part in the testing, but unless you send to me directly, I will not participate.

Thanks!

Dave.

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So back then... you were part of a giveaway and you had extensive damage and did not mention it? Odd.

Point of fact is we have had over 23 giveaways with over 900 tests by end users and no reports of damage as you decribe- I have never had an email or phone call from any user with a complaint about wholesale damage to their equipment. And I can confidently say you never contacted me.

Contamination is very unlikely, we contract mix our compound to a company that uses multi million dollar mixing machines in a clean room environment, heated and under a vacuum. This is unlike our retail competitors who do their mixing in an open air environment with unfiltered air.

We buy our diamond from the number 1# Diamond Supplier in the USA and they supply to companies that make diamond optical lapping paper. "large Chunks" would not be possible and demonstrate a lack of understanding of the screening process, our contract mixer then samples all material for conformity to specifications. We then fill from the shipped can transferring the compound into sterile syringes. There is no opportunity for contamination in fact I seriously doubt any other manufacturer is a rigorous as we are.

We are not a bunch of Yahoos we make every effort to produce a high quality professional product. IC Diamond is used extensively in mission critical systems where performance and reliability is key to their use. It is used today in avionics, servers on Navy ships, Speciality LED lights for mining operations and oil rigs as well as emergency medical devices etc.

If you had that experience perhaps it was contamination on your end we always recommend cleaning sink and cpu. In any event end users here can report their results and we will see how things look at the end of the exercise.

I just saw that somehad commented that it's very thick and was easier to spread if it was warmed up a little.

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Our suggested method of a 5.5mm bead on centre is a compression spread, most good retail heat sinks are 50 psi + in pressure. Add some heat and the viscosity changes so the compound spreads easily on it's own (cures as they say) without entraining or whipping(as with a manual spread) in any air which will cause performance/reliability issues. Unless you are in a sub 60F ambient room temperature no warming should required.

As I mentioned, it's clear the sample was contaminated. However, not by myself, as I have always been careful. I have been doing this PC hobby thing in a big way for the last 12 years.

So, rather than worry about it, I'd like one from you directly, that is all. No need to defend anything. I wanna give it a try, with a good sample, rather than what I got last time.

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Do you have a forum post on this over at their site? I would like to see this before I use it as well. Not taking any sides here but want to see the issue for myself. I pay for my hardware and really do not want to ruin something due to a 5$ thermal paste.

I pay for my hardware and really do not want to ruin something due to a 5$ thermal paste.

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I really do not think you need to worry. I received that sample via a third party, and somewhere between me getting it, and it being sent, the tube was spoiled. Because of this, I'd rather avoid the third party.

I tested both CPUs and GPUs, back in 2009. Only the post with the CPU results still exists. I still have those cards in my garage somewhere . Anyway, in those threads back then, there are reports of staining, and the compound polishing off the writing on CPUs. The staining is an indicator of contamination, apparantly.

I really do not think you need to worry. I received that sample via a third party, and somewhere between me getting it, and it being sent, the tube was spoiled. Because of this, I'd rather avoid the third party.

I tested both CPUs and GPUs, back in 2009. Only the post with the CPU results still exists. I still have those cards in my garage somewhere .